Why Scoop the Poop?

11/13/2012
174 Comments

For years now I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to manage every type of residential property possible; from Homeowner Associations, multifamily housing, single family homes, and more. Without exception the biggest issue that receives the most complaints is……..PET WASTE! While many people love their communities and wouldn’t even think twice about leaving pet waste on their lawns or common areas, there are a select few individuals that believe it is some other person’s problem to clean up after their animals. Unfortunately, it seems that these select few individuals must have a house full of pets because every time I do an inspection of a property you can guarantee I will find pet waste during my visit.

So…..the question is posed, “Why Scoop the Poop?” Besides being a nuisance, uncollected pet waste is a serious problem for everyone. Next time you’re tempted to leave your pet’s droppings on the lawn, consider these facts:

1. The Environmental Protection Agency is becoming aggressive about enforcing the Clean Water Act. Associations and Multifamily Property Owners could be fined if pet waste goes uncollected.

2. Uncollected pet waste may lead to a special assessment for association members. If fined by the EPA, the association could face a potential special assessment that would be levied against all members–not just pet owners.

3. The appearance and quality of the common areas are known to affect home sales. It can affect how long it with take for the property to sell but even more importantly how much it will sell for.

4.The more residents that do not participate in cleaning up after their animals and keeping the exterior looking beautiful also causes more complaints to the property manager about this issue. In turn, this causes more time the manager must spend on enforcement rather than serving the association.

All of the above issues are relevant and hold merit but I personally believe the number one reason people should clean up after their pets is, IT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO! Much like a child, when you adopted your pet you automatically assumed a ton of responsibilities that go along with caring for your animal. Some of which are health, cleanliness, and the obligation to clean up their messes. Help keep our communities clean by doing “the right thing”.

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